(19)
(11) EP 0 248 276 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
20.07.1988 Bulletin 1988/29

(43) Date of publication A2:
09.12.1987 Bulletin 1987/50

(21) Application number: 87107357

(22) Date of filing: 20.05.1987
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH DE ES FR GB GR IT LI LU NL SE

(30) Priority: 23.05.1986 US 866827

(71) Applicant: BALL CORPORATION
 ()

(72) Inventors:
  • Stein, Samuel R.
     ()
  • Lewis, Lindon L.
     ()
  • Smith, Thomas E.
     ()

   


(54) Frequency standard using hydrogen maser


(57) The invention provides a frequency standard, comprising:
frequency-generating means (100) for generating electro­magnetic energy at variable frequencies;
a hydrogen maser (10) including means (12,13,19) to direct a stream of hydrogen atoms at a hyperfine energy state into a microwave cavity assembly (52) to generate electromagnetic energy at hydrogen resonance frequency; and
an electronic means (120) to control the frequency of said frequency-generating means (100) to maintain a standard frequency with the electromagnetic energy generated by said hydrogen maser (10),
said microwave cavity assembly (52) including a dielectric container defining by its outer surfaces a microwave cavity that is tuned to about hydrogen resonance frequency and including a discontin­uous conductive coating on its outer surface in a predetermined con­figuration to suppress undesired oscillation of the microwave cavity.







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